Dawnpelt's Choice
by Duskstar727
Summary: The battle with the Dark Forest has passed. But for Dawnpelt of Shadowclan, the battle is only just beginning. She's been driven by a need for vengeance for so long... but she suddenly finds herself unable to continue pursuing her revenge. What will she do now? Torn between two possible futures, the time has come for Dawnpelt to make a choice that will determine her fate. Oneshot.


It had been hard. So hard to let go of her anger and hate. So hard to let go of her brother, Flametail. So hard to accept that he was gone. Looking back on it now, maybe that was part of the reason that she tried to blame Jayfeather for his death. All her life, Dawnpelt had always found a way to fix the situation, to solve the problem. So what was she to do when she finally found a problem she couldn't fix? Despite all her skill as a warrior, all her strength and pride, she could do nothing but sit by and watch while the most important thing to her had slipped right through her paws. She could only watch as the other Shadowclan warriors pulled Flametail's body out of the lake, along with Jayfeather. When she saw the two medicine cats emerge from the icy water, the only thing she could process was that Jayfeather was breathing. Jayfeather was breathing, and Flametail was not.

Blaming Jayfeather had been her way to escape the pain. Nothing she could say or do would ever bring Flametail back. He'd stay dead. She couldn't fix this problem. But she couldn't just do nothing. She had to do something, something to make it feel as though she was moving forward. And it had been so easy to blame Jayfeather. To make it his fault that Flametail had died. To make him into the problem. Because she could still do something to him.

And so she didn't mourn. Not visibly, at least. She did not cry for Flametail at his burial. She did not wail for her lost brother. All her thoughts were turned towards vengeance. She couldn't bring Flametail back. But Jayfeather was still here. If she convinced herself that making him lose everything would solve the problem, than she wouldn't feel so lost. She had to do something. And with that choice, she had set herself on a path of uncertainty.

Dawnpelt's eyes slid open to the harsh glare of the morning sun. It had been two days since the battle with the Dark Forest warriors. Shadowclan was starting to repair itself. But the sadness and pain of the warriors still lay heavy in the air. The battle had been so horrible, so bloody. She saw it in her mind every time she closed her eyes. Blood, blood everywhere, claws ripping flesh, the dying screams of warriors rising into the night. She never wanted to see a fight like that again. She didn't know why this battle had disturbed her so very much. Maybe she was weak. She shook her cream colored pelt. No, that wasn't it. That had never been it. It was the fact that with every death of a warrior, the ones who had loved them would be as lost as she was.

Flametail's death had left her feeling lost and powerless. Revenge and bloodlust had been the only thing driving her since his passing. It had been the prick of light she'd been chasing. But now that light had gone out. She could no longer hate Jayfeather- not completely. After seeing him lose his own sister, Hollyleaf, she could no longer bring herself to think of him as evil. But she couldn't completely let go of her anger. Not yet. She was at a standstill in her mind. She couldn't see the path ahead; it was obscured by a gray fog. She didn't know how to move forward now. But she had to try.

She stretched, walking out of the warriors den. Owlclaw and Snowbird were up, working on repairing the apprentices den, which had been crushed to bits in the horrible battle. She nodded to her clanmates, trotting across the camp to the nursery. She wanted to check on Pinenose, like she did every morning. She found the black she cat asleep, curled protectively around her two remaining kits. The queen opened her yellow eyes, fixing them on Dawnpelt.

"Good morning." Pinenose said quietly.

"Morning, Pinenose. How are the kits?" She asked softly.

Pinenose's eyes glittered with sadness. "They're ok. But I think they're still missing Larkkit. I'm having trouble explaining to them that she's… that she's… dead." The queen trailed off. "I try to tell them that she's gone to be with Starclan, but they just blink at me and ask when she's coming back." Pinenose's voice was thick with grief. Dawnpelt settled down next to her friend, wrapping her tail around the queens shoulder.

"They are young, and they don't understand yet. The day will come when they are old enough to see that their sister has left them. Give them time, and be patient." Dawnpelt meowed gently. She rose, and turned to leave. "I'll see you later." Pinenose nodded to her as she left.

Dawnpelt's heart swelled with grief for the young queen. Dawnpelt didn't know what to do now that she'd lost the thing that had driven her for so long- the thirst for vengeance. So if she couldn't find a way to move forward, she could at least try to give others the strength to keep going, to find hope again. That was why she had grown so close to Pinenose. Dawnpelt wanted to help lead Pinenose out of the gray blankness of uncertainty, even though she herself could not escape. It had been Hollyleaf's death that had changed everything for Dawnpelt. She let her memories sweep her away, back to the moment when she'd lost the drive to hate Jayfeather.

_After the battle, Dawnpelt and Smokefoot had been sent to check on Thunderclan.__Blackstar's words still rang in her ears.__ "__Now is not the time to be worrying about the divisions between the clans.__As much as I hate to admit it, Thunderclan helped us.__We should return the favor, if they need help at the moment.__I have no wish to be indebted to Firestar."__Blackstar had meowed quietly._

_Dawnpelt and Smokefoot drew close to the Thunderclan camp.__The barriers around the camp had been torn to shreds.__Dawnpelt ducked into the entrance.__Some of the Thunderclan warriors noticed her presence, but their eyes were to full of grief and pain to offer any hostility.__For this small moment in time, all the clans were one.__Dawnpelt's eyes traveled to the center of the clearing.__She felt a wave of rage wash over her as she saw the cat she hated so very much, Jayfeather, sitting in the center of the clearing.__Her claws slid out unintentionally.__But something stopped her anger.__Jayfeather looked smaller and more frail than she'd ever seen him.__He was hunched over a body in the center of the clearing, his brother Lionblaze at his side.__The body was Hollyleaf.__Their sister.__For the first time, she felt something other than anger at the thought of Jayfeather.__She felt an understanding.__A connection.__He'd lost one of his littermates as well.__She should have felt glad that he'd lost something precious to him.__But she didn't.__Only sadness for his loss. _

_There were three other cats in the clearing.__An elder, a queen, and to Dawnpelt's surprise, Firestar.__Had he really been on his last life?__Thunderclan had not escaped the battle unscathed.__The Shadowclan warriors walked up to Brambleclaw- or Bramblestar, as he would soon be called.__The brown tabby turned to face them.__ "__Dawnpelt and Smokefoot?__Is Shadowclan still under attack?"__The new leader asked._

_Dawnpelt shook her head as a reply.__ "__Blackstar sent us to thank you for the assistance of your warriors and to see if Thunderclan was alright."__She said formally._

_Brambleclaw looked at her curiously.__ "__It's not like Shadowclan to worry about the well-being of the other clans."__He meowed._

_"__Blackstar is no fool.__He knows that this is a time when the clans must work together.__We must put aside our old rivalries for now."__Smokefoot meowed._

_Brambleclaw dipped his head.__ "__Of course.__I meant no disrespect.__Would you tell Blackstar that Thunderclan thanks him for his concern, but we'll be alright?__And of course, inform him of Firestar's passing."__Brambleclaw's eyes flitted to the great ginger tom lying in the clearing._

_Dawnpelt nodded.__ "__We will."__The Shadowclan warriors turned to leave, to let Thunderclan grieve for their dead in peace.__As she was about to go, Dawnpelt's eyes met Jayfeather's blind blue ones, just for an instant.__Even though he could not see her, it felt as though he was staring into her soul.__She shivered and turned away.__She didn't know what to think of Jayfeather anymore.__Could she really continue to hate him?__But if she let go of her hatred, what would she do?_

She shook her pelt, brushing away the memories. She still didn't know what to think of the Thunderclan medicine cat. But she couldn't worry about that now. Her clan needed the support of all its warriors to get itself back on its feet. Dawnpelt glanced at the fresh kill pile, which was looking painfully sparse. More cats were coming out of their dens now. In a time like this, when so much work needed to be done to repair the camp, the cats would need to keep their strength up. And they couldn't do that on empty stomachs. Maybe she could take out a hunting patrol!

She knew that the injured warriors especially needed food to help them get healthy again. There were so many injured cats… Littlecloud certainly had his paws full. He had to treat all the injured on his own, and that couldn't be an easy task at his age. Without Flametail, responsibility for the clan's health rested solely on Littlecloud's bony shoulders. She'd hardly seen the old tom since the battle; he'd been so busy caring for the wounded. Maybe some fresh kill would help him out, too. She'd need permission to take out a patrol though.

Rowanclaw, the clan deputy and Dawnpelt's father, was just walking out of the warriors den. Perfect timing! She could ask him. Dawnpelt bounded over to her father, who was still blinking the sleep out of his eyes. "Rowanclaw!" She called.

"What is it, Dawnpelt?" He yawned.

"I was wondering if I could take out a hunting patrol. The fresh kill pile is really low, and the warriors need to keep up their strength. So would it be ok if I took a few warriors out to hunt?" She asked.

Rowanclaw blinked happily at his daughter, letting out a rumbling purr. "It's good to see you thinking about the well-being of the clan. It'd be great to have you take out a patrol. Take whoever you want with you, except for Owlclaw and Snowbird. They're working on repairs."

Dawnpelt nodded her thanks, dashing off to gather up a patrol of hunters. She ended up choosing Applefur, Starlingwing, Oakfur, and Smokefoot to go with her. The patrol headed off into the forest. It was time to hunt.

The patrol had been hunting for quite a while now, and it seemed that the luck of Starclan was on their side. They'd had great success so far. Altogether, they'd caught four mice, a rat, two toads, a shrew, two birds, and even a rabbit. They'd be ready to head back to camp soon. It was almost mid-day. Dawnpelt was stalking another shrew. She was determined to catch this one. The last one had barely managed to slip away. But this time, she'd catch the little creature for sure! She pounced, killing it in a single blow. She stood up with the shrew in her jaws, quite satisfied with her catch. She was close to the Shadowclan border now, she should probably head back. They had enough prey anyways.

Just as she was about to turn and leave, she noticed a few clumps of plants by the bush where she'd caught the shrew. She knew that scent! It was Goldenrod! And not far from that, there was a clump of Marigold. She was no medicine cat, but Flametail had showed her a few of the herbs he'd used, back when he was training as a medicine cat apprentice. She had a pretty good memory, so she hadn't forgotten what he'd taught her, even though it had been so long ago. Both of the plants were useful in treating wounds- Goldenrod sped up the healing process, and Marigold prevented infection. With all the injured cats back at camp, these herbs might be useful to Littlecloud. She gathered as many as she could, picking up her shrew along with the herbs.

"Dawnpelt! Where are you? Should we head back now? I think we have enough prey." That was Oakfur's voice.

"Coming!" She meowed, her reply muffled by the herbs she was carrying. She dashed back to the rest of the patrol. The other cats were all together with their prey, clearly waiting for her.

Smokefoot stared at her in curiosity, his yellow eyes wide with confusion. "Say, Dawnpelt… Mind telling us what you got there?" He asked, gesturing to the bundle of herbs.

Dawnpelt set the herbs down gently. "They're herbs for Littlecloud. Too help the injured warriors."

Smokefoot cocked his head. "Since when have you been a medicine cat?" He asked.

"I'm not! It's just that there are a lot of injured warriors, and Flametail taught me about some of the herbs when he was training to be a medicine cat, and I recognized these! They can help!" She growled.

"Ok, ok. You don't have to get so aggressive. I was just asking." Smokefoot meowed. "By the way, we dug up the rest of the prey you caught. How are you gonna carry it back to camp with all those plants in your mouth?"

Dawnpelt sighed. She'd forgotten about the rest of her prey… How _was_ she going to carry it back to camp? She picked up the prey in her jaws, and rolled the herbs into a bundle, clamping them between her neck and her chest. She stared at each and every one of the cats in her patrol, daring them to laugh. No one said a word. She spun around and stalked off, headed towards camp. And she pretended she didn't hear the tiny snort of laughter coming from behind her.

Her neck was aching by the time she finally reached the Shadowclan camp. Dawnpelt did her best to ignore the funny looks her clanmates were giving her, but she still felt her pelt blazing with embarrassment. Just as she was headed over to Littlecloud's den, she saw the old medicine cat emerge from Blackstar's den. He blinked at her in surprise.

"Dawnpelt! Are those herbs?" He asked in surprise. He padded over to her and sniffed at the plants she carried. "They _are_ herbs! And ones that'll be good for helping the wounded. But how did you know what they were? You aren't a medicine cat."

Dawnpelt twitched her ear nonchalantly. "It's not a big deal. Flametail taught me a few things back when he was your apprentice. I guess I just have a good memory." She meowed, setting the bundle of herbs down at the medicine cat's paws.

Littlecloud narrowed his amber eyes. "Is that so? I'll keep that in mind. Well, thank you for the herbs." He replied, picking up the plants.

As he turned to leave, a thought struck Dawnpelt. "Littlecloud!" She called. He turned his head, nodding for her to continue. "Why were you in Blackstar's den? Is he ok?" She inquired.

"Yes." Littlecloud's mew was muffled by the herbs in his jaws. "I was just discussing something with him. He'll be calling a meeting about it soon." The small tom trotted off, disappearing back into his den with the herbs.

Dawnpelt blinked in confusion. What could possibly be so important that Littlecloud would ask Blackstar to call a meeting? Had he received a sign from Starclan? Whatever it was, there was no use dwelling on it now. She'd find out the reason soon enough. She turned, padding across camp to deposit her catch at the fresh kill pile. Her brother Tigerheart was there as well, taking a mouse to eat from the pile. His eyes glimmered with amusement as Dawnpelt set down her kill.

"Those smell like herbs." He commented. "Been playing medicine cat?" He teased gently.

"Why does everyone keep saying stuff like that?" She growled. "I wasn't working as a medicine cat, I was just-" Her reply was cut off by a yowl. Dawnpelt shifted her gaze, locating the source of the yowl. Her eyes fixed on Blackstar, who had just hopped into the Tall Tree. He must be about to call a meeting.

"Let the cats of Shadowclan old enough to bare their claws in battle join here at the Tall Tree to hear me!" Blackstar called. Dawnpelt had been right. This had to be the clan meeting Littlecloud had mentioned. She padded over to the base of the tree, curious as to what the meeting was about.

"Littlecloud has brought an important issue to my attention." Blackstar addressed the clan. "But I'll let him tell you what it is himself."

The small tabby tom padded to the base of the tree, clearly too old to jump up into its branches. "Thank you, Blackstar." Littlecloud meowed. "As you all know, we suffered great casualties during the battle with the Dark Forest. What's more, many cats were injured. I am old, and I cannot effectively treat all of the wounded cats without help. Things might have been different if Flametail was still alive, but he joined Starclan moons ago." There was some murmuring from the cats gathered in the clearing. What exactly was Littlecloud asking of them? "I'm not asking for a medicine cat apprentice, just for a cat to assist me with treating the injured for a short while. They would be exempt from warrior duties while they assisted me. Don't worry though, it won't be for long. Less than a moon. Once most of the wounded have healed, my assistant would return to their life as a warrior. So, who would like to assist me?" He inquired. _So that's what he was talking to Blackstar about. _Dawnpelt thought.

Dawnpelt waited for one of the cats to step forward, to volunteer. But to her surprise, the clearing remained silent. She looked around at her Clanmates. Most of them looked slightly uncomfortable with Littleclouds request. She understood how they felt. None of them had training as a medicine cat, and no one wanted to give up their warrior duties, even if it was only for a short while. And yet, it would be necessary for some cat to make the sacrifice to help the clan. The silence drew on, broken only by the singing of birds from the branches of the trees above.

Dawnpelt sighed. If someone had to do it, it might as well be her. Besides, she wasn't sure what she wanted now. Maybe helping her clanmates would clear her mind of unnecessary worries. "I'll do it." She meowed, stepping forward. She could hear a slight sigh of relief from the cats around her. Littlecloud looked down at her, nodding in approval. He didn't look surprised. In fact, it appeared that he'd _expected _her to volunteer.

Blackstar stepped forward, gazing down upon his clan. "Well, that's all we needed to hear. Thank you for taking the initiative, Dawnpelt. Your sense of duty to your clan is admirable." The leader meowed. "Well, that was all we needed to discuss. The meeting's over. Dawnpelt, you should head over to Littlecloud's den to see what he needs assistance with. The rest of you, resume your duties. There's still a lot of work to be done to repair the camp!" And with that, he leaped down from the tree. The rest of the clan moved away, hearts set on working to get Shadowclan back to the way it was before the battle. Dawnpelt's heart swelled with pride. Her clan was full of loyal warriors. She doubted the other clans had warriors anywhere near as resilient as the cats of Shadowclan.

Dawnpelt scanned the clearing, searching for Littlecloud. She saw the tip of his brown tabby tail disappearing into the Medecine cat den. She bounded after him, ready to meet the challenge of her new duty as Littlecloud's assistant.

"There. That should do it, Blizzardkit." Dawnpelt meowed. She had just finished pulling a large thorn out of the white and grey kit's paw. He was one of Pinenose's two remaining kits, finally wandering about the camp.

The kit looked up at her, his dark blue eyes shining with appreciation. "Thanks Dawnpelt! You're the best!" He squeaked, bouncing off to play with his littermate.

"Just be careful not to play in the thorns again!" Dawnpelt called after the energetic kit.

He looked over his shoulder. "Don't worry, I won't!" He promised.

Dawnpelt sighed in resignation. She had no doubt that the kit would forget his promise in a matter of moments. She'd already had to pull two other thorns out of his paws over the last few days. But it didn't matter. She'd take the thorns out again, every time he got them.

Dawnpelt had been helping Littlecloud for quite some time now. She'd found that she'd stepped into the position of Littlecloud's assistant with ease. She had a good memory for herbs, and had learned them quickly. Though it had only been a little over a half moon since she'd become Littlecloud's temporary assistant, it felt as though she'd been doing it all her life. It felt so natural, so easy, to lose herself in the work of a medicine cat. When she was treating wounds, she could forget her unresolved anger over Flametail's death, even though it was a temporary relief. She stretched her tight muscles, purring with happiness. Another day of hard work.

Littlecloud padded into the den, a bundle of herbs clutched in his jaws. His gaze turned towards Blizzardkit, who was now telling his sister Moonkit all about the _huge _thorn that had been stuck in his paw, and how he'd been really brave when Dawnpelt yanked it out. His littermate stared up at him, her big yellow eyes wide with amazement.

Littlecloud turned back to Dawnpelt. "Helping Blizzardkit with thorns again?" He purred in amusement.

Dawnpelt nodded. "He never can seem to stay out of the thorn bushes."

"Well, he's lucky to have you there to pull them out. Removing thorns can be tricky." He replied.

Dawnpelt gave her chest fur a few embarrassed licks. "It's not that hard…"

"Well, you're still very talented at it." Littlecloud meowed, setting down the herbs. He gazed around the Medicine den, which was now quite empty. Most of the injured cats had healed up and were back to work. Only a two warriors remained in the den, and even they would be leaving soon. "It's gotten spacey in here, hasn't it?" Littlecloud commented.

"It has." Dawnpelt agreed. She'd had plenty of free time recently, seeing as she was doing things as simple as removing the thorns from Blizzardkit's paws.

Littlecloud sat down, curling his tail around his paws. "With your help, I was able treat the wounded much more efficiently. But things aren't so hectic anymore… It truly has been nice having another cat working beside me. I'll miss your help."

"Huh?" Dawnpelt blinked quizzically, not understanding what the medicine cat was implying.

Littlecloud sighed. "What I'm trying to say is you can go back to your warrior duties. You don't have to work as a medicine cat assistant anymore."

Dawnpelt felt a pang of sadness, much to her surprise. Why did she feel so down about leaving the medicine den? "Oh… right. I almost forgot it was only temporary." She meowed quietly. It had been a good distraction from her uncertainty. "I'll miss helping you out." She truly meant it.

Littlecloud's eyes gleamed at her words. "Then maybe you shouldn't leave." He meowed, leaning over to stare into Dawnpelt's eyes. "You could become my apprentice."

"What!? No!" Dawnpelt hissed, shocked by the sudden suggestion.

Littlecloud stood. "And why not? You're good at memorizing herbs, you're inclined to help other cats, and you're quite dexterous with your paws! You'd be a great medicine cat!" He growled.

Dawnpelt flattened her ears to her head. "I am a _warrior!_ That's the path I chose, and that's the path I intend to follow!"

Littlecloud rounded on her. "Oh really? Tell me, Dawnpelt, could you really fight another battle as bloody as the one with the Dark Forest? Could you?" He hissed.

"If serving my clan calls me to do so, then yes!" She lied.

"You couldn't, could you? I saw the horror in your eyes after the battle! There are other ways to serve your clan than being a warrior!" Littlecloud spat.

"My destiny is to be a warrior!" Dawnpelt yowled.

"Destinies change! I was a warrior before I was a medicine cat, but I chose to change my path in life!" Littlecloud hissed. "Face the truth, Dawnpelt. You can't fight another battle like the last one! But you've clearly got skill in healing! I'm growing old, I won't be around for much longer! Shadowclan _must_ have a successor for the duty of medicine cat! You're the best cat for the job! If I die without training an apprentice, Shadowclan will become prey to sickness and infections!"

"Then find some other cat to train as you're apprentice! Why does it have to be me? Surely you could request that one of the warrior apprentices transfers to train as a medicine cat!" Dawnpelt snarled.

"There's no guarantee that they would have the necessary skills! Open up your eyes, Dawnpelt. You are the _only_ cat who is capable of taking my place! With Flametail dead, I have no successor! Face your duty to this clan, and take your brother's place as medicine cat apprentice!" Littlecloud urged.

"You want me to _replace _Flametail? To take his place and pretend like he never existed? If I become a medicine cat, I take the future he would have had. I erase the need to remember him! I won't let you forget him like that! I won't let him be replaced so easily!" Dawnpelt shrieked. Her sadness and rage was overflowing now. The fur on her spine was standing up, and undisguised fury blazed in her eyes. Without saying another word, she turned and dashed out of camp, leaving Littlecloud in the dust.

Dawnpelt didn't know where her paws were taking her. She only knew that she had to get away from the Shadowclan camp. She just couldn't be there right now, not for a little while. She was just running. Running from the memories, the responsibility, the truth. Running from the fact that when it came right down to it, for all her warrior training, she'd been able to do nothing but watch as the most important thing to her slipped away. But wasn't that what she'd been doing all this time? Running away? She couldn't face the truth. She wasn't brave enough. Before she knew it, her paws had led her to the edge of the lake. She could feel the cool water lapping at her paws, like the calming tongue of a queen.

The lake was beautiful, illuminated with the colors of the sunset. It was almost disturbing how such a beautiful place had taken the life of her brother. The sun reflected off the lake in a bright orange, almost painful to look at. Night would fall soon. But Dawnpelt didn't want to return to camp. Not tonight. She needed to be away from them for a while. She didn't want to go back and face Littlecloud again. No, she'd spend the night here by the lake.

Where would Dawnpelt go from here? She couldn't run away from the truth anymore. Littlecloud would force her to face it. She thought about his earlier demand for her to train as a medicine cat. She'd never really considered the possibility that she could be anything but a warrior. That was what she'd always wanted, but now… now she wasn't so sure. She just wanted to serve her clan but what was the best way to do that? If it was by being a medicine cat, would she be able to cure her clanmates knowing that this should have been her brother's destiny? But if it was being a warrior, would she be able to kill other cats in battle, all the while knowing she could be taking another cat's precious littermate, friend, mother, father, or kit away from them? It was all too complicated. She lay down, curling her tail over her nose and squeezing her eyes shut, trying to drown the whole world out.

When she opened her eyes, she was in a different place than where she had last closed them. Where was she? She stood in a grassy clearing sparkling with moonlight. She tasted the air cautiously. This was nowhere near clan territory.

"Hello, Dawnpelt."

Every drop of blood in Dawnpelt's veins felt as though it had turned to voice at the sound of that voice. She turned her head around very slowly, afraid that the cat who had spoken would disappear the second she laid eyes on him. Her eyes finally came to rest on the cat that had spoken. And at that moment, it was as though all the heaviness in her body disappeared. The weight of sadness that she'd been carrying for so long vanished. And she was no longer frozen. Energy coursed through her all at once. "Flametail!" She cried, her voice filled with a mixture of indescribable pain and joy.

"It's good to see you, Dawnpelt." The ginger tom meowed.

Dawnpelt bounded forward, touching noses with her brother. "Oh, Flametail! I- I can't believe you're here! You were gone for so long, but you're here now, and it's all ok!" She purred, weaving around her brother. "I thought you were dead! It was like a horrible dream…" She trailed off. Her eyes lost their joyful glow. Greif shone in them now. "No… That isn't right, is it?" She meowed sadly. "You… You did die. _This _is the dream. And when I wake again, you'll still be gone."

Flametail blinked softly at her. "Dreams, reality… Those two things aren't so far apart. My body may be gone. But the thing that's really important, my soul, is here in Starclan." He spoke with a wisdom Dawnpelt never knew he'd possessed. "But I'm not here to grieve over the past. I'm here for you, my dear sister. You have an important choice to make."

Dawnpelt sat in front of him, curling her tail over her paws. She breathed a sigh of relief. "So you're here to tell me what to do? Thank Starclan."

To Dawnpelt's surprise, he shook his head. "I am not here to choose your future for you. No cat but you can make that decision."

"But I don't know what to do! Please, tell me! I don't know what I want anymore! Am I to be a warrior or a medicine cat? I have to know!" Dawnpelt yowled in desperation.

"One of the most precious things about life is the ability to choose how we want to live it for ourselves. I'd never take that away from you. What I can do is make sure you aren't held back by the past." Flametail meowed gently.

Dawnpelt looked up at him hopefully. "Then you wouldn't be angry if I wanted to be a medicine cat? You wouldn't feel like you'd been replaced?"

Flametail shook his head. "I'd never hold that against you. My time with the clan is over. But yours is not. If you want to become a medicine cat, I will guide you and share dreams with you. If you remain a warrior, I will watch over you. Either way, I'll be proud of you. This is your future, and you need to do whatever makes you happy."

"But I'm not sure what that is anymore. For so long, I was sure I wanted revenge on Jayfeather. I was sure I wanted to fight and kill. That hurting Jayfeather would solve all my problems. I felt so helpless when you died, and I needed someone to blame." Dawnpelt whispered. "I need to know this, at least. Do you blame him for what happened to you?"

"No. I was angry, at first, that he'd lived while I died. But I eventually found a way to let go of my hate. Jayfeather was never the one to blame for my death." Flametail spoke the words that Dawnpelt had known in her heart for a very long time now. "I died, and it was no one's fault. There was nothing you or any other cat could have done."

Dawnpelt's heart twisted. "But what's my life worth if I can't save the things most precious to me?"

"You can never save everyone. That's true no matter what path you choose- medicine cat or warrior. But you will save some cats. And the ones that you do save will thank you for saving them, protecting their lives. They won't think your life is worthless." Flametail promised.

"For so long, I was sure I wanted to be a warrior. But now, I don't know if I can fight another battle. And yet, I want to fight for my clan. To protect them and serve them." Dawnpelt rasped.

"Whatever you choose, you will protect them. There are many ways to fight for your clan. Look closely, and you'll see that being a medicine cat and being a warrior aren't as different as you think they are. Don't let the past hold you back. Grieve. Let your sadness pour out. Let the past go, and make your decision freely." Flametail's eyes glowed brightly. "Now, we must part ways, for the time being. You must return to reality, and make your choice."

"But I still don't know what I want!" Dawnpelt yowled.

Flametail's image was already fading. "I think you do know, Dawnpelt." He said with certainty. "I think you have known for a very long time. It's time for you to see the truth that lies in your heart. Choose your own destiny."

Dawnpelt's eyes flew open, and she was back at the lake. She pulled herself up, grooming her now unkempt fur. She looked up at the stars in the night sky that would soon fade, giving way to a new day. A cool breeze ruffled her pelt, carrying a trace of Flametail's scent. _"__I will always be with you."_ The words were barely a whisper.

All at once, the grief Dawnpelt had held inside of her since Flametail died welled up inside of her, washing over her. She tipped her head back, closed her eyes, and for the first time since her brother's death, she let herself mourn. "Oh Flametail! I miss you so much!" She cried. Dawnpelt yowled her sorrow to the dark sky. She cried for her brother, for the future he could have had, for Tawneypelt's sadness, for the sharp pang in her own heart. And when she had finally let all her sadness pour out, all the whirling feelings she'd kept caged for so long, she opened her eyes. She knew what she wanted now.

Dawnpelt looked out over the lake, which was ablaze with the colors of the rising sun. It was dawn. The time for which she had been named. The time when a brand new day was born out of the darkness of the night. The time of beginnings. It was fitting, she thought, that it was at this special time that she made her choice. It would lead her to a fresh new start, a new life, much like the birth of a new day. She turned away from the lake and began to walk. She could feel the first warm rays of the sun on her back, urging her on. She was ready at last to return to the Shadowclan camp. And when she got there, she knew exactly what her choice would be.

* * *

**Hey guys! Thanks for reading this fanfic. This is my first short story. In case you're wondering, it does fit in to the plot of my other story, Ravenpaw's Legacy. The idea for this short story came to me while I was typing the allegiances for Ravenpaw's Legacy. I was typing up the Shadowclan cats, and I accidentally put Dawnpelt's name next to the position of Medicine cat. I was about to delete it, but something stopped me. I thought, ****_wait, this could actually work! They did leave Dawnpelt's conflict with Jayfeather unconcluded. What if I write a story where Dawnpelt learns to let go of her hate of Jayfeather? And what if I make Dawnpelt become a Medicine cat? _****And so ****Dawnpelt's Choice**** was born. I just thought it seemed like the kind of thing Dawnpelt might do. I mean, she clearly cared a great deal for Flametail. So maybe this would be her way of honoring his memory? Also, for the very observant reader, the two kits mentioned in the story, Blizzardkit and Moonkit are Warriors in Ravenpaw's Legacy, by the names of Blizzardstrike and Moonfeather. Anyway, thanks for reading!**


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